JPH0535074B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

(Technical Field) The present invention relates to a recording device, and more specifically to a recording device using an electrically conductive heat transfer type thermal transfer film that prints images, characters, etc. at high speed and with high quality. This concerns the material of the head. (Prior art) Regarding the recording head of a recording device using a conventional current-carrying thermal transfer recording method, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-214973, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-214972, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 60-214971 are known.
No. 60-199669, etc.,
Various structures have been revealed. By the way, in the current-carrying thermal transfer recording method, as described in these patent publications, a current is passed through the resistance layer of the ink film through the recording electrode of the recording head, and the ink film is heated by the generated Joule heat. This is a method in which the desired printing or printing is performed by melting the ink layer and transferring it to a predetermined transfer paper. Therefore, in a recording head using an electrical thermal transfer method, it is necessary that the recording electrodes of the recording head are always in contact with the resistive layer so as to conduct electricity, and for this reason, the conventional recording head proposed in the above-mentioned patent publication cannot In consideration of mechanical wear between the electrode and the resistance layer, wear-resistant metals such as tungsten and molybdenum are used as recording electrode materials. (Problems) However, if printing is repeated over a long period of time with a recording head using these conductive materials, the wear resistance will gradually deteriorate, and the recording electrode on the high potential side will wear out, resulting in a decrease in resistance. A new problem was discovered: the electrical contact between the layer and the recording electrode decreased, the contact pressure became uneven, and the quality of the printed image significantly deteriorated. (Solution Means) The present invention solves the problems of the recording head described above, and includes an ink film having a resistive layer and a melting ink layer, and a recording head having at least a base material and a plurality of recording electrodes. By bringing at least a portion of the recording electrode of the recording head into contact with the resistance layer of the ink film and applying a voltage to a predetermined electrode of the recording electrode, current is applied to the resistance layer to generate Joule heat. In the recording apparatus, the base material is made of an abrasion-friendly, free-cutting ceramic material, and the base material is made of an abrasion-friendly, free-cutting ceramic material, and the recording device generates heat to melt the molten ink layer and transfer it to the transfer paper to obtain a predetermined record. At least the portion of the recording electrode of the head that conducts electricity to the resistance layer is made of a conductive material mainly composed of metal silicide, chromium,
titanium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium,
A recording device characterized in that it is made of a conductive material (excluding silicide) having at least one kind selected from niobium as a constituent component. In other words, as a result of examining the causes of wear resistance over time in conventional recording electrodes and the wear and tear of high-potential side recording electrodes, we found that the conductive material used for recording electrodes gradually oxidizes due to heat generation of the resistive layer of the ink film, etc. They also discovered that the electrode on the high potential side, to which a voltage is applied so as to become an anode, reacts more easily with oxygen than the recording electrode on the low potential side. And like this,
When the recording electrode is oxidized to the inside, its wear resistance deteriorates and its electrical resistance increases significantly.
By discovering that the electrode part generates heat and wears out through peeling, abrasion, or sublimation, the present invention enables the electrode to not oxidize even when recording is repeated in the air or in an oxidizing atmosphere, and to significantly reduce the electrical charge. By manufacturing the recording head using a conductive material that does not increase resistance, the problems of deterioration of wear resistance over time and wear of the recording electrode on the high potential side are solved. (Specific explanation of the structure) By the way, in the recording device of the present invention, in the recording electrode containing metal silicide as a conductive material, Si contained in the metal silicide turns into SiO ₂ and forms a thin oxide film on the electrode surface. Therefore, the metal silicide inside the electrode is not oxidized, and the SiO ₂ coating has wear resistance, which is preferable. Among these, molybdenum silicide, tungsten silicide, chromium silicide, titanium silicide, and tantalum silicide are particularly preferred. Note that the SiO ₂ film described above is not substantially formed on the portion of the ink film of the recording electrode where electricity is applied to the resistance layer because the portion is constantly sliding against the film. Furthermore, even if a SiO ₂ film were formed on such a current-carrying part, the film would remain extremely thin compared to other parts of the recording electrode due to constant sliding contact with the ink film. When the electrode end surface slides against such an extremely thin
The SiO ₂ film is shaved off to ensure good electrical conduction between the electrode and the film. In addition, materials containing conductor materials such as chromium, titanium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, niobium, etc., such as these metals, or alloys containing these metals, such as nichrome, molybdenum titanium, molybdenum chromium, etc. It is also a preferred recording electrode material because it forms a stable and strong oxide film and is not easily oxidized to the inside. Among them, chromium, titanium, and tantalum are preferable materials, but materials that have chromium as a constituent, such as chromium metals and alloys, have extremely high wear resistance not only of the main component but also of the oxide film. It is preferable because it is large. Of course, the recording electrode of the present invention may be in the form of a composite film of two or more layers using at least a portion of the recording electrode material described above. For example, recording electrodes consisting of two layers, a chromium metal layer and a molybdenum metal layer, a recording electrode consisting of two layers, a titanium metal layer and a molybdenum metal layer, and a molybdenum layer formed by heating a thick film paste whose main component is molybdenum. A recording electrode formed with a chromium metal layer is also a preferred recording electrode form. In manufacturing the recording head used in the recording device of the present invention, methods for forming recording electrodes containing the above conductive material on the surface of the substrate include vapor deposition, sputtering, plating, and CVD. ,
Any film forming technique such as ion plating may be used, or a paste or slurry containing the recording electrode material as the main component may be prepared and printed or coated on the substrate using a printing method, dipping method, etc. The film may be formed by heating. Regarding pattern formation, any method commonly used for circuit pattern formation, such as photo etching method, lift-off method, mask method, laser processing technology, slicing processing technology, screen printing technology, etc., can be used. Also, there is no difference in combining or using them. Furthermore, if necessary, electroplating or electroless plating may be performed on the recording electrode according to the present invention.
In order to improve conductivity, solderability, and bonding properties during mounting, Ni plating, Ni-B plating, Ni-W-P plating, Au plating, etc. are applied to the entire surface or part of the electrode. It's okay. Furthermore, in order to protect the electrode, if necessary, an insulating layer may be formed on the entire surface or part of the electrode by sputtering method, CVD method, ion plating method, vapor deposition method, anodic oxidation method, etc. Even if it is printed and formed with paste,
It may be formed by applying a coating liquid for an insulating layer. There is no problem even if an electrode is further formed on this insulating layer as described above. Furthermore, in the recording device of the present invention, the base material of the recording head is preferably a heat-resistant material, especially an easily abrasion-resistant material, so that the recording electrode material and the film resistance layer come into good contact even after repeated recording. Free-machining ceramic materials (including glass ceramics) are used, which have lower hardness and are more abrasive than recording electrode materials. Among these, glass-ceramic substrates containing mica are preferred because they have excellent free-machinability and low hardness. It is. An example of a basic switch connection diagram for each recording electrode formed on a predetermined base material and made of the above conductive material is shown in FIG. There, 1 is a power supply, and the high potential side (recording) is connected to the positive (high potential) side via switch 2.
Electrode 4 is connected and its negative (low potential)
A (recording) electrode 5 on the low potential side is connected to the side via a switch 3, while electrodes 4 on the high potential side and electrodes 5 on the low potential side are arranged alternately. By switching the respective switches 2 and 3, a current is selectively passed through the film resistance layer between all adjacent electrodes 4 and 5. As is well known, the resistance of the ink film is Corresponding portions of the layer are heated by Joule heat, melting the molten ink layer and transferring desired images, characters, etc. onto the transfer target. In such recording electrodes 4 and 5, the present invention is particularly advantageously applied to the electrode 4 on the high potential side, but the present invention can also be applied to the electrode 5 on the low potential side. You can fully enjoy the excellent effects of. For example, the effects of the present invention can also be enjoyed in a recording head in which an electrode layer on the high potential side is formed on the ink film and the electrodes of the recording head are composed only of electrodes on the low potential side. Further, FIGS. 2 and 3 conceptually illustrate different examples of the tip portion of a recording head in which recording electrodes according to the present invention are formed. Here, reference numeral 6 denotes a ceramic substrate as a base material, and on this ceramic substrate 6, single layer recording electrodes 7 or composite layer recording electrodes 9 are formed at predetermined intervals. Of course, in these recording electrodes 7 and 9, the electrodes on the high potential side and the electrodes on the low potential side are arranged alternately. For these recording heads, for example, numbers are shown in Figure 2:
The end portion of the electrode indicated as 8 is the contact portion of the ink film with the resistance layer.
Further, in FIG. 3, at least one of the upper and lower two layers 9a and 9b constituting the recording electrode 9 is made of a conductive material according to the present invention. Next, in order to clarify the present invention more specifically, some examples according to the present invention will be shown, but the present invention should not be construed in any way limited by the description of such examples. do not have. In addition to the following examples and the above-mentioned specific description, various changes, modifications, improvements, etc. may be made to the present invention based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit thereof. It should be understood that any of these embodiments fall within the scope of the present invention. (Example) A glass-ceramic substrate (Knoop hardness: 400 Kg/mm ² ) containing borosilicate glass and fluorine phlogopite as the main components was prepared as a base material, and a film was deposited on its surface as a recording electrode by sputtering. A chromium film was formed to have a thickness of 3 μm. Furthermore, a pattern was formed using a normal photoetching method, and heat treatment was performed to form recording electrodes with a pitch of 100 μm and an electrode width:
A recording head (sample No. 1) as shown in FIG. 2 was prepared with a diameter of 50 μm and number of electrodes: 1680. Similarly, titanium, tantalum,
Molybdenum silicide, tungsten silicide, chromium silicide, tantalum silicide, zirconium, niobium, molybdenum-titanium alloy,
Nichrome, stainless steel, molybdenum/chromium,
A film was formed using sputtering, and a pattern was formed in the same manner as Sample No. 1 to form a recording head (Samples No. 2 to No. 12 and No. 1) having a single-layer recording electrode as shown in FIG.
22) was prepared. In addition, these samples No. 1 to No. 12
and No. 22, if necessary after pattern formation.
Heat treatment was performed at 900°C in a N ₂ -H ₂ mixed gas atmosphere. In addition, a glass-ceramic substrate (Knoop hardness:
400Kg/mm ² ), titanium, chromium, molybdenum silicide, tungsten silicide, chromium silicide, and nichrome were deposited in the same manner using the sputtering method, and then a molybdenum film (thickness:
1 μm) using the sputtering method, and then patterned using the usual photoetching method in the same manner as sample No. 1. If necessary, 400 nm in N ₂ gas or N ₂ -H ₂ mixed gas atmosphere was applied. Heat treated at ~1000℃,
Recording heads (Samples No. 13 to No. 18) having recording electrodes made of composite layers as shown in FIG. 3 were prepared. Next, according to the usual thick film paste manufacturing method,
A paste containing chromium metal as the main component and kneaded with an organic binder, a glass component, a vehicle, etc. was prepared. Then, using the obtained paste, screen printing was performed to create a forsterite ceramic substrate (Knoop hardness: 1000 Kg/mm ² ) and a glass ceramic substrate (Knoop hardness: 1500 Kg/mm 2 ) whose main components are borosilicate glass and alumina. mm ² ), recording electrode pitch: 320 μm, electrode width:
Print a recording head pattern of 180 μm, electrode thickness: 15 μm, number of electrodes: 640, and non-oxidize N ₂ gas or N ₂ − H ₂ − H ₂ O mixed gas with an oxygen concentration of 50 ppm or less at 900 to 1000°C. The recording heads (Samples No. 19 and No. 20) as shown in FIG. 2 were prepared by firing in a neutral atmosphere. In addition, a thick film paste containing molybdenum as the main component was prepared in the same manner as sample No. 19, and this thick film paste was applied to a glass-ceramic substrate (Knoop hardness: 400 kg/ ^mm2 )
After printing on the entire surface to give an electrode thickness of 10 μm and baking, chrome plating (film thickness: 1 μm) was performed to obtain a film-coated substrate. Next, a pattern was formed on this film-coated substrate using a laser processing technique to form a composite layer recording electrode as shown in FIG. Electrode pitch: 100μm, electrode width: 50μm, number of electrodes: 1680
A recording head (sample No. 21) was prepared. As a comparative example, tungsten was deposited on a glass-ceramic substrate (Knoop hardness: 400 Kg/mm ² ) whose main components were borosilicate glass and fluorine phlogopite to a thickness of 3 μm using the sputtering method. In the same manner as sample No. 1, attach the recording head (sample no.
23) was obtained. Furthermore, as a comparative example, borosilicate glass and fluorine phlogopite (Knoop hardness: 400Kg/mm ² )
A recording head (Sample No. 24) was obtained in the same manner as Sample No. 19 using a thick film paste containing molybdenum as a main component on a glass ceramic substrate containing as a main component. The material composition of these samples is listed in Table 1. Then, using a recording device using each of the recording heads of Samples Nos. 1 to 24, an evaluation test was conducted in which the recording electrode and film resistance layer were constantly slid, printing was repeated, and changes in printing quality over time were examined. I did this. Note that a voltage of 20 V was applied between each recording electrode, and a current was passed between each electrode with a pulse width of 2.7 msec. The resistance value between the electrodes of the film resistance layer is 4KΩ
It is. The results of the evaluation tests obtained are shown in Table 2. Furthermore, Table 2 lists the lengths that can be printed without any change in printing quality over time.

【table】

【table】

【table】

[Table] (Effects of the invention) In the current-carrying thermal transfer recording method, since the electrode and the film resistance layer are constantly sliding, friction of the recording electrode becomes a problem, and the contact between the electrode and the film resistance layer also becomes a problem.
It is important to make stable electrical contact. According to the present invention, even if printing is repeated in an oxidizing atmosphere, a stable and strong oxide film is formed on the surface of the recording electrode, so there is no wear on the recording electrode due to heat generation in the film resistance layer, etc. Since abrasion-prone, free-cutting ceramic material is used for the material, the film resistance layer and the recording electrode are always in contact with each other, and stable printing quality can always be obtained. Therefore, since the recording apparatus of the present invention has high speed, high recording quality, and high reliability, it becomes an excellent current-carrying type thermal transfer recording apparatus for printing images, characters, and the like.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an example of a basic switch connection diagram to each recording electrode. Further, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the concept of the tip of the recording head of samples No. 1 to No. 12, No. 19 to No. 20, and No. 22 in the example, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the concept of the tip of the recording head of samples No. 13 to No. 18 and No. 21 in the example. 1...Power supply, 2...High potential side switch, 3...
...Low potential side switch, 4...High potential side electrode,
5...Low potential side electrode, 6...Ceramic substrate,
7... Recording electrode (single layer), 8... Contact portion with film resistance layer, 9... Recording electrode (composite layer).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An ink film having a resistive layer and a molten ink layer, and a recording head having at least a base material and a plurality of recording electrodes, wherein at least a portion of the recording electrodes of the recording head are covered with the ink. By contacting the resistive layer of the film and applying a voltage to a predetermined electrode in the recording electrode, the resistive layer is energized to generate heat with Joule heat, melting the melting ink layer and transferring the ink layer. In a recording device configured to obtain a predetermined record by transferring data to paper, the base material is made of an easily abradable and free-cutting ceramic material, and at least a portion of the recording electrode of the recording head that conducts electricity to the resistive layer is provided. , a conductive material whose main component is metal silicide, or a conductive material whose constituent component is at least one selected from chromium, titanium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium, and niobium (excluding silicide) A recording device characterized by: 2. The recording electrode of the recording head is made of a conductive material containing at least one selected from chromium, titanium, tantalum, molybdenum silicide, tungsten silicide, chromium silicide, titanium silicide, tantalum silicide, and molybdenum chromium as a main component. The recording device according to claim 1, characterized in that the recording device is formed by: 3. The recording device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the base material of the recording head is made of glass ceramic containing mica. 4. The recording electrode of the recording head comprises the chromium,
It is formed by heat treating an electrode pattern formed using at least one metal selected from titanium, tantalum, zirconium, hafnium niobium, or an alloy containing at least one of these metals. A recording device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.